A Visit From Santa Claus

 

 

Ted Kennedy once tried out for the Green Bay Packers, the same year Bart Starr and Forrest Greg were rookies. Ted settled on a different contact sport: politics.

Sometimes some of the best moves are the ones you don’t make. The Reds are stuck with the huge contract of aging slugger Mike Moustakas. When he signed with the Reds many Braves fans were mad that the Braves hadn’t signed the former Royal.

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R.I.P. GAYLORD PERRY [SABR Bio] [Obit] won the AL CYA in 1972 with the Indians. Brother Jim Perry won the AL CYA in1970 w/MIN. Gaylord had pitched for his original team (the Giants) since 1962, but was traded to Cleveland in November 1971. He was the first AL Cy Young winner from a losing team. In 1972 and 1973 CLE’s record was 78-84. Perry’s 11.0 WAR led the AL. Teammate Graig Nettles’ respectable 4.8 was next on the Indians. When Perry homered off the Dodgers' Claude Osteen in the 3rd inning on 20-Jul-1969, he fulfilled a whimsical prophesy his manager Al Dark had made years earlier. Read the details here. Gaylord was the second pitcher with more than 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. Perry is joined by only 9 other pitchers. Perry qualified in 1982. Walter Johnson had been there alone, since 1923. All 26 teams were beaten by Perry at least once. Many people knew U.S. President Jimmy Carter raised peanuts on his farm in Georgia. Perry’s farm in North Carolina was a commercially profitable peanut producer. Perry’s no-hitter on 17-Sep-1968 against the Cardinals' Bob Gibson, was a 1-0 gem. Perry's second Cy Young Award came in 1978 with the Padres. He was the first pitcher to win Cy Young Awards in both leagues, a feat now accomplished by five other pitchers.

WEEKLY THEME – Players with a season with a WAR of 12.0 or higher in the Modern Era (1900-2022)

Rank                   WAR Year

1... Johnson.........15.1...1913

3        "                 13.2...1912

6... Young............12.5...1901

9... Gooden..........12.2...1985

9... McGinnity.......12.2...1903

10. Carlton...........12.1...1972

2... Ruth...............14.2...1923

4        "                 12.9...1921

5        "                 12.6...1927

6... Yastrzemski...12.5...1967

8... Hornsby.........12.3...1924

Last week's JFBC sermon: click here to listen.